Monday, September 29, 2025

hey, that looks like a winner!

 
That's because it is a winner... but I didn't turn it in as one.
That's because that first game of Music Bingo already had two other winners!!!
My win was with "I Love The Nightlife", "If I Can't Have You", "You Make Loving Fun", "Feels Like The first Time", and "Short People", all songs I've known most of my life, as they're from 1977 and 1978. 
Elissa, me, and a guy from Germany - we were all waiting on "Feels Like The First Time" to complete our five in a row, though theirs were different from mine.
Nice inside joke from the Universe that an actual Foreigner won, right?
Hahahaha! 
In fact, that same guy won the second game, too!
His traveling buddy got to use that one for a free drink.
They had come to Savannah for some deep-sea fishing, but the ocean has been too choppy for that with two storm systems stirring the pot.
So, for this last evening in town, the wind had blown them to Midtown Sports Grill, to play darts and maybe flirt a bit with all us girls.
Very nice!
Elissa and I made sure they knew to grab a bingo sheet, so they could "win a free drink!", and they were only too happy to comply.
More flirting, right?
Right!
Sandy and Marcia and Amanda got a kick out of all the extra attention, too.
Sandy won a game, too, the third one, and gave the win to Amanda.
I was glad we were all able to make it out for the new bingo caller, Sam.
I don't why Jade isn't there, but I've been told this guy also does their trivia on one of the other nights.
He was good, just not as eccentric as she had been.
(smile!)
I'm also glad I was there as this will be the last Monday night out for our group for a week or two.
Last week was a miss, as will be next week, because of the string of Jewish High Holy Days that are going on.
Amanda will keep us apprised of our next time out, via group text.
Good!
(smile!

Sunday, September 28, 2025

tashlich, kinda sorta

During the ten High Holy Days of the Jewish New Year, there is a ritual of atonement which involves casting one's sins into a large body of flowing water.
I am well acquainted with telling my troubles to the ocean and watching as it graciously carries them into its depths.
So, when I read on fb that the Savannah JEA was having its 4th Annual Reverse Tashlich, that sounded like it was made for me!
"With Reverse Tashlich, we’re turning symbolism into action by removing human "sin" from the water. Reverse Tashlich provides an opportunity to come together and engage in a hands-on effort to clean up our beaches, rivers, and shorelines, removing the plastic, trash, and other debris that threaten marine ecosystems. By removing the waste we have allowed to accumulate, we protect marine life and ecosystems that are essential for life on Earth to survive, while also fulfilling the mitzvah of Bal Tashchit."
Does that not sound tailor-made for me?
Instead of me casting my troubles out with the tide, I would support the ocean by removing physical rubbish before it could travel out to sea. 
So I registered to let the SavJEA know I would be there.
And guess what happened when I arrived?
I was greeted enthusiastically and BY MY NAME.
Seriously.
The woman in charge knew MY NAME and was actively awaiting my arrival to the Tybee Pier and Pavilion.
Right place, right time.
i thank You, God. 

I took my blue bucket into the edge of the dunes, knowing paper and plastic trash would have blown up there from beach picnics.
My quest met with almost immediate success!
I didn't even need to don the protective gloves I'd been given.
 

After canvassing the area north of the pier for another twenty minutes, collecting small fragments of paper and plastic, I returned to the pier.
I had spotted two white, plastic, grocery bags trapped in this area between the ramp and the pavilion.

Could I possibly reach that area by going around the pavilion?
No, that didn't work, so I went under the stone structure, making my way slowly to the southwest corner, for the area by the entrance ramp.
Success!
Out from the pavilion area, I made sure to take this shot to show the bags safely retrieved.
 

Up the side stairs I returned, adding my bucket to the group of pails already gathered by others.
Then I enjoyed my reward: a juicy clementine, with cold water, and a dragon patrolling the overcast sky above the beach.
Right place, right time!
 

Saturday, September 27, 2025

15th annual 24-hour play festival!

I'm glad this thing keeps persevering, though it makes it hard for folks to follow it from year to year when it's always somewhere different.
There are a couple of new venues that have sprung up this summer, so maybe that will help these homeless troupes.
Two reps from the national mother ship were in town, so that was nice.
Also, it was held at Asbury Memorial Church, so that was super nice!
My biggest beef was the total lack of a physical program for my $12.
Just for reference, QR code programs are useless without a smart phone.
Assumptions, assumptions, assumptions - we all know how useless and First World-biased those are, right?
The good news is: these five plays were much lighter than last year's!
Hallelujah!!!
Just like last year's production, the plays had no common line or common item; they were totally random, using props the actors owned.
So, one had a ukelele.
That was in "An Alternative Horror", the very last of the five offerings, written by Thomas Houston and featuring his lovely wife, Danielle.
She was the assistant of a rich fellow who gets visited by a Were-person - think Were-wolf, but the full moon doesn't change the bitten one into an animal, just a person.
In this case, it was a person who played the ukelele and sang the Harry Nilsson song about limes and coconuts!
I don't know if that was Thomas' choice or that of Malcolm Sturdevant (the actor playing the Were-person), but I ate it up!
In fact the whole short play was quite funny, though inadvertently so.
See, the rich guy was to try to use drawings to explain Were-physiology science, but the easel he was using kept collapsing - hahahaha!
He finally grabbed up the easel and the sketchpad and tossed them off stage to the great delight of all!!!
Oh, and Danielle showed she could be a real bad-ass - I told her she should seek out those kinds of roles!!!
Another had a rubber chicken.
 
That would be the third play, "Something In The Water", written by Rick Garman and directed by Ryan McCurdy.
This was like Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" in reverse.
So, the fast section came first, as the grand-daughter tried to get her grandma packed and out of the house before the dam breaks, with the old lady insisting that wouldn't happen as she kept pulling items out of the bins.
Then it goes into slow mode as the scene shifts to a nursing home, with the nurse interrupting the old woman's reveries to take her to her room... and the nurse kindly agreeing to listen to one of the woman's stories.
It truly was a heartfelt piece.
So, what about the other three plays?
 
The first, "Separation Anxiety", was written by, and starring, Chris Bass.
As I told him, he seemed to be channeling his inner vampire as a backwoods veterinarian called in to help a troubled married couple who'd been hiking, as a bonding experience, and got tripped up.
 
The second play, about a married lesbian couple wanting to find a sperm donor and looking for help from a gay friend, was the least appealing to me.
Titled "The Choice", it didn't feature anyone I knew, wasn't written by anyone I know, and was about wanting a baby.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no.

Then there was the 4th play, "Metal Bird", which at least had one person I knew.
The thing is, here's the thing (as my ex would have said): the whole play reminded me of that time-filling skit Steve Martin did on SNL decades ago.
So, there Luisa Nolasco was, a wife standing on the edge of the apartment building's roof, with her husband trying in vain to call her back.
Then comes a guy they know and he acquiesces to her repeated talk about the "big metal bird" in the distance. 
Hmm... yeah, okay.
One interesting feature was the same as last year: a musician between plays would sing a tune to keep us busy while the stage was changed out.
This time it was Samantha Stephens, who had a playlist that she strayed from after the third play.
So, here's her choices, including the one change.
 
"Hungry Heart", by Bruce Springsteen in 1980
"True Colors", by Cyndi Lauper in 1986
"I Was Made For You" (maybe by Billie Eilish?)
"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", by Cher in 1966
 
Those were some interesting song choices, made more so as they were mostly from my younger years.
Nice to know they still resonate with 30-somethings!

more ghouls to haunt my dreams!

Hah! As if they could!

I was back in Georgetown for a double dose of "AA and AAA" time, this one in the company of the Koz.

All of Dawn's little inside ghouls were re-animated last time, but all of the outside creepy crawlies were still trapped in bins.

So, even though I knew we women had been called in as the Treat Crew today, my choice was to stay outside and help Chris get his contingent ready to scream and shout and wriggle.

Why did I do that?

As I told him, in years past, I would have already gotten fresh batteries into his collection as well as hers.

I didn't want to leave him with all of that to do when it was something I actually enjoyed. 

I even brought him a treat: one of the jade rocks that Paul had picked up on a hike in California.

My line was: "What does Charlie Brown always say about the contents of his Halloween bag?"

Chris knew it right off!!!

So, just who did Dawn have in action?

The Treat Crew, posted in the dining room as usual, consisted of my outlaw Bunny, Dawn herself, Gina, Susan, and Monica!

Monica had already left by the time I took that photo, which was around 2 PM.

But just look at all the bags of goodies crafted for those coming to the BYOP!!!

All the neighborhood kids just love trick-or-treating at this house!!!

Guaranteed to not get a single rock!

(smile!

And of course Dawn fed us!

This time, it was Pizza Puffs from Chicago!!!

Those were so tasty that I had two!

Stella got carrot sticks and chewed them all up!

All I had to do was take a bite first so she knew they were people food.

(smile!

Friday, September 26, 2025

fb flashback from 27 September 2012

Curiouser and curiouser.

I have no idea why the Book of Face chose to show me this "Memory" a day early.

Perhaps the Universe knows tomorrow will be busy for me and didn't want me to miss this sweet post that JinHi made with this photo of me from 13 years ago.

"This is my beautiful friend Tina Smith! If ya recognize her, you must be an actor, singer, musician, community organizer, local business owner, or student, and SHE HAS BEEN THERE, tirelessly SUPPORTING YOU and always having a wonderful time at it! THIS IS HER CAUSE. Toss in a little love, kids! You can donate $1's worth of love and it would be as appreciated as a hundred. LIGHT THE NIGHT WALK: LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA."

Even more curious: that link is still active for my fundraising page.

She had donated a very generous $50 for that walk.

I am so fortunate to still have her in my life!

She has battled cancer, participating in every new-drug trial as they arise, for over a decade for her small-cell lung cancer.

She truly takes science to heart.

So many will have her to thank for the drug that puts their lung cancer into remission.

Yes, the world is definitely a better place because of JinHi Soucy Rand.

Thursday, September 25, 2025

couple of a*lists - see, i went to movies!

Not only did I go to movies at NCG Cinema last week, but I also made it out to AMC Classic 11 a few times!
I caught the new Japanese anime, the British finale, and even a sports movie!
Carolyn even went to "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle" with me, in the BigD auditorium, along with a contingent of SCAD students.
Yes, the version with spoken Japanese and English subtitles, the way it's meant to be!
Let me say, when they were fighting on the different levels of that enormous castle, it felt like they were traveling within an M.C. Escher work - absolutely dizzying at times!!!
On Wednesday, I went to "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale" on my own, as she had already seen it, and found it to be an honest look at the effect of divorce on a woman's social life, whether in 1930's England or even 2007's Savannah.
I must say that it introduced me to another actor to enjoy: Alessandro Nivola.
The 53-year-old plays a bit of a scamp, but he's oh-so-charming... rawrrrr!!!
I realize he's been in other movies I've seen, but certainly not as such a sexy character.
I'll have to look for him the next time I see those earlier works... and look forward to seeing him in future films!
Oh, my, let me calm myself for a moment... whew!
On to the third movie, "The Senior", with Michael Chiklis as a 59-year-old man who'd been expelled from college midway through his final year.
That's because he couldn't stop fighting, both on and off the football field.
Fast-forward to the 40th reunion of the team he would have been on, with them including him for the celebration.
While there, he finds out he's still eligible to play, as his senior year is still open for him to finish.
And so he does just that, including trying out for the team - and making it - and going to classes.
Excellent film about second chances... and I love those!
 
Then, this week, with fewer distractions at NCG, I managed to complete my AMC dance card with a foursome!
All were seen solo, and only the last is one I'd see again.
That's because "Gabby's Dollhouse - The Movie" was a celebration of life and family and imagination, with lots of encouragement to viewers to sing along, to clap along, to dance along!!!
It was soooo much fun!!!
Even for someone who knew nothing of the TV show!
I even liked Kristen Wiig in this one... and I usually don't care for her at all.
That's saying something!
However, the other three movies were definitely one and done.
"A Big Bold Beautiful Journey" was certainly not the date movie portrayed in its previews, though Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie were certainly excellent.
However, it was like speed dating through the worst times, with all the dirty laundry pulled out of the baggage for all to see.
After all, they were both adults in their 4th decade, so they'd lived through a lot of experiences, picking up hurts along the way.
So, although realistic in some ways, the movie's approach to forming a relationship was not quite believable, with being content not what most seek.
"The Long Walk" reminded me that Stephen King movies can be horrific, and that one was utterly unrelenting in its horror.
Listening as so many young men lost their lives was exhausting.
Give me a John Wick movie any day, but not this slaughter of innocents.
Then there's "The History Of Sound", which certainly had some wonderful American folk and gospel music from remote areas.
Set in times that bookend World War I, it first focuses on a relationship between two young men at college, one of whom is drafted into the Army.
Then there's shift after that one returns to the States.
He encourages the farmer to join him in a scientific endeavor to document unheard music and they have several months on the road together.
Then the movie shifts again and the focus is squarely on the farmer.
It's a good story, but not one for me to read again.
Okay, that's enough for this 25th day of September of 2025.
(smile!)

asbury sisters luncheon

I had not realized that today was the official start of Sisters In Faith, the new women's group at Asbury Memorial Church.
All I had known was that several women I knew had been part of last month's luncheon, but I'd never heard of the group.
That made me feel very excluded as a member of a church that prides itself on making sure everyone is included.
I'd almost not attended the luncheon because of that feeling I had...
but I made myself go and give it a chance.
I'm so glad I did!
Apparently, when Linda Combs had started the group, it was to give her a chance to get to know some of the new women.
She had noticed that more often than not, when she looked out of the choir area into the congregation, she knew fewer and fewer people.
So she started out small, inviting a handful of newcomers to her house for casual functions like low-key lunches or dinners.
It grew over the last two years into an unwieldy group of 28 diners at Carey Hilliard's on Skidaway last month, with others that wanted to come.
That's when she approached the church about making it official and holding the next luncheon in Holliday Hall as a potluck affair.
 
And that's what we had today!
Linda asked Michelle Meece, a performer at the Historic Savannah Theatre, to speak with us about her faith journey.
What a wonderful, frank, open talk that was!!!
 
Michelle even had a graph that plotted her times of high faith with her times when her life was going through turmoil!!!
I told her that, as an analytical chemist, I would have never expected to see a graph and applauded her inclusion of that in her discussion.
Just amazing!
After the meal - which we ate on real plates, using real silverware - we all pitched in to clean up and put the tables and chairs back where they belonged.
 
Then we made sure to put our new name tags into the basket for future get-togethers... and to take one of the little purple bags Linda made as parting gifts for each of us.
Yes, I'm so glad I went!
And I had the pleasure of sitting with Robin and Candace and Pam... and that was very nice, too.

I even found myself near Myers Middle School on my way home, so I popped over to visit Sam Johnson.
I cleared the leaves and vines off his grave marker, putting a bunch of bright yellow flowers at its head.
Then I filled two bags with deflated balloons, bedraggled blooms, and miscellaneous items left behind by others.
What a good visit there!
I wonder if Barbara's niece has a marker somewhere that I could visit.
That would be reassuring.
I'll have to ask Sandy if she knows the answer.
(smile!)

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

neighing away!!!

Because of the pain in my right leg, I've been sleeping oddly.
See, I prefer to sleep on my right side, and that has become an issue with my sore hamstring and hip.
What did I do to cause that?
Beats me.
Acetaminophen helps - which is good, as that's the only pain reliever I'm allowed while on Eliquis - but it gets 'all used up' in less than seven hours.
That means I'm up at crazy times to take another so I can finish sleeping.
Thankfully, this time I was able to catch "Bill and Teddy's Adventure"!
 
Hahahaha!
That's my name for this scene!
Nice pun on one of my favorite history movies
Teddy Roosevelt had challenged Bill to a Hobby-Horsin' Hootenanny and it was ON!
That's Bill on the left, with his steed, 'Broomstick'. 
Teddy, astride 'Little Texas', had to split the win of the first two jumping contests, but they managed to beat out the competition in the third round.
Very funny!!!
By the time that was done, and I'd watched two cartoons that featured hobby horses, the pill had kicked in.
i thank You, God, 
for this bit of merriment!
Now, I'm awake again and well-rested, and ready to head off to Suds for laundry.
I'm even tackling the double load of bed linen this time.
Why a double instead of a single?
Well, that's 'cause I've been slack.
I've had a fitted sheet and a flat sheet left over from a few months back when I didn't want to be bothered with folding sheets.
Silly me!
Hooray for quadruple loader machines and 25% off Wednesdays!

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

back for another hit of hamilton!

"You went to that musical again?"

Of course I did! I told you last week that Carolyn and I were going to go again, didn't I? But she and I were not alone! Robin of AsbMemCh came along with us on this Tina Tuesday! She saw my post on fb about it and immediately wanted to see it again!

"Again??? She's already seen "Hamilton" on film, too?"

Even better: she has seen it FOUR TIMES live and in person!!! Once was even on Broadway with much of the cast that's in the 2016 filmed production! Plus, she's seen it in San Francisco and two other places while it was on tour!!! She says it's her favorite modern musical... and I totally believe her! Get this: she even sat on the front row, like I did!

"Wow!!! I do hope you get to go to more plays with her! She does seems to enjoy plays and musicals almost as much as you do."

I hope for that, too. You know, she only discovered the joy of theatre when her son became an actor in high school. That was about 25 years ago. So, she's been trying to make up for lost time ever since! She's really looking forward to God On Broadway next month. I'll be surprised if she doesn't get featured in at least one of those four shows!

"Very good! And did she sing along with the songs in this one?"

Of course she did! So did the little girl several seats down from her. Robin said the girl sang along with every single song!!! I bet that child was only about 13 or 14, so she must have been watching the musical on Disney+ for the last five years. Amazing!!!

"Wow!"

Her mom was just glad we didn't mind. Mind? We were singing along, too! What an incredible show!!!

"I'm thrilled you got to see it again! Did you ladies go off for luncheon after?"

Nope! We went to slunch! Hahahaha! I had hoped for us to go to Geneva's, but that restaurant was closed for vacation. Drats. So, we popped down to Carey Hilliard's on Skidaway instead. As it turned out, Robin had just been there earlier in the month for the Sisters In Faith luncheon.

"Isn't that the new women's group at Asbury?"

Yes, it is. I've already got plans to be part of that on Thursday. I'll be sure to let you know how it pans out. Robin said it's been going for about two years. I'm a bit peeved about being excluded from it all this time. Anyway, that's neither here nor there! I'm focusing on today!!!

"That's the right attitude, dearie! And just how did Robin and Carolyn get along?"

Swimmingly! Both of them have so many stories and both are more girly than I ever was, so they naturally kept a conversation going. It was very cool to watch! Carolyn is 79 and Robin is 64, but they hit it off quite nicely. That was good! I do need to remember that Robin is allergic to all seafood, but that shouldn't be an issue, really. Almost all the restaurants in this seaport have plenty of chicken and steak options for landlubbers.

"No seafood? Not even fish?"

That's correct. So, she had the chicken wings, Carolyn had a hamburger, and I ordered the barbeque pork plate. Something different for each and none of it from the Atlantic Ocean or nearby rivers!  

"Looks like you tucked into that pretty hard."

I ate all of it, I did! Then I went over to the Purple Planet of Victory to get a little treadmill action in to work off some of it. Well, and to limber up my hip and knees. Ever since that sound bath, I've had sore knees. Never going to do that again! They're getting better, though, slowly but surely.

"You know how it is. You're older, so things don't heal as quickly as they once did. Remember having to fasten your bra in the front and twist it around? That went on for a year after you pulled muscle in your right arm. That happened on one of your flights out to California."

True. Then, one morning I woke up and that arm was just fine again, as if it had never had a problem! I'm ready for my legs to follow that example. I do feel better after walking on the treadmill, then using the leg curl and the hip abductor.

"And I see that your odometer liked that you did that, too. Right?"

You're correct! That mileage of "243156" makes a perfect straight! That confirms that I was right place, right time, all day. Hooray!

Monday, September 22, 2025

thanks, boston scientific

Yesterday was the final day of the study prescribed by Dr. Cobb. 

I had expected that it would end in the afternoon, so I was prepared to ship it all off with UPS after being with Dawn.

Nope!

The heart monitor's phone gave me that message about 8 AM.

Sweet!

I went back to sleep for another hour.

Then I watched "Drew Barrymore", whose guest made 'pierogi pasta' using ground beef, onions, and diced potatoes with regular pasta.

I had onion pierogi, so breakfast was this!

Then to check the WSAV weather song.

For the Fall Equinox, temperatures would be mild, but a return to summer heat was coming up fast.

That meant I needed to break out the Ryobi at least once more.

Drats.

Oh, but here's a funny thought I had!

Some random guy came by a couple of days ago, asking if he could cut the grass.

The next time that happens, I'm going to smile real big and give him a hearty handshake as I thank him for that gracious gift of taking care of that for me!!!

I wonder if the guy might be embarrassed to ask for money after that?

LOL! 

Anyway, after the weather check, I popped the heart monitor and all its paraphernalia into the pre-addressed, postage-paid box, dropping it off at my favorite UPS.

Then to take in "The Long Walk".

Yikes... what a hard movie to sit through.

Maybe I'll have to abstain from Stephen King movies in the future.

Not that it wasn't well made... it was just incredibly brutal.

Ugh.

I decided to go to Planet Fitness to work off some of that sadness.

I'd finally returned to the Purple Planet of Victory last Saturday, kinda sorta starting a reboot of that part of my year.

I also used the hip abductor to try to stretch out my hamstrings.

My right leg has been a problem all month.

After I was done with the machine and treadmill, I still had energy - and daylight - on my side.

Time to tackle the front yard, armed with a fully-charged Ryobi!

I know this photo doesn't show my progress very well, but progress I made!

I got most of this half of the front yard mowed, as well as a good portion on the left side of the frame.

I'll try to catch the rest in the next day or two.

Now, time for an evening of relaxation!

The two Janes are on tonight, and they'll be a nice distraction from the echo of carbines in the movie earlier. 

Sunday, September 21, 2025

screwdriver time!

Halloween is coming up, 
as is the 15th Annual BYOP 
of Georgetown! 
Know what that means???
 
 
Yep, that's right!
It's high time 
for all the little ghouls 
to get fresh batteries - 
and maybe a good thump 
on their backsides - 
to bring them back to life again!
 
This mariachi skeleton 
is one of my favorites.
 
His batteries go 
into his shoes, 
lending him a bit of 
extra stability 
for his antics.
That's physics, baby!
Weird science in action!!
 
Now, he can sing
and dance
as he flashes his eyes
at all the ladies!
 

And all I needed
to help make him mobile again were new batteries and two tools:
my hands and my Philips-head screwdriver.
 
Yes, this year I brought my own screwdriver to this party!
As I told Dawn and the Koz, mine has a better handle that fits my hand perfectly, making the task proceed much faster and easier.
Dawn and I had at least half of her motley crew installed with fresh life within the first hour of operation... and that included pulling them out of the six storage bins!
Impressive, right?
Then we took a water break and the Koz took a break with us!
He even brought out a book he's made with all the fossils he's collected at Tybee.
Yes, indeed, fossils of sloths and megalodons as well as several types of common sharks and local fish and other marine life.
Then, he let me visit his "Death Room" which holds the actual physical specimens he's collected over the years - wow!!!
I've been invited to come out on the boat for one of these forays.
Very cool!!!
Afterward, Dawn and I finished up the ghouls in another hour.
Then it was fish - and turtle! - feeding time with Susan and Terry on their deck by the lake out back.
What a lovely way to spend the day!
Right place, right time!
 
How did I know for sure?
AARP's "Right Again!" trivia had an index fossil as the puzzle beneath the clues.
Wow!

Saturday, September 20, 2025

3rd new year of 2025 - hooray!

"The third new year? Oh, that's right, you started 2025 over again after Ezra whited everything out for a week. So, which country's new year is this one?"

Not a country, but a culture. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins sundown on Monday, 22 September. Tonight, we celebrated the Eve of New Year's Eve! We had to celebrate a night early because Sandy always spends Sunday with her mom and stepdad.

"Family time is very important in this ten-day string of High Holy Days. My guess is they won't be going out to Music Bingo on Monday."

That's right, so I will be free to do whatever that evening. I do wonder if the following Monday might also be available for me to have alternate activities? I'll have to check and see. I really don't see any purpose in going on my own, as I have no smart phone to look up the song titles.

"Sure, I get that. So, what did you and Sandy do tonight?"

Oh, it wasn't just me and her! We went to several different places, with the J. Crew dropping in number as we traveled. We started off at Sushi Hana, the new place on Abercorn where B&D Burgers used to be. I guess neither of the sons it's named for wanted to take over.

"Yes, that has happened a lot around this seaport in the last few years."

We seven completely enjoyed ourselves at this new place! That first photo is of the painting that faces the sushi bar. I love it!!! Such a Japanese classic! You know, I have a magnet of "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa". So gorgeous to see it taking up an entire wall!

"It does have fabulous coloring and curves! I bet that was nice to look at during the meal, too."

Oh, we couldn't see it, but the chefs could. I spotted it while returning from the bathroom. Stopped me in my tracks, it did!

"I know it did! So, you mentioned there were seven of you?"

That's right! Sandy, Elissa, Marcia, the regulars for our Monday nights. Then we had Kathy, Devora, and Joel, as the lone male. Plus me! We all had something different for dinner, too! Several of us had sushi rolls. That photo is of my Hana House Roll, consisting of spicy crabmeat and avocado, topped with tuna, salmon, miso sauce, spicy mayo, and toasted onions. It was delicious! I even ate part of the orchid! That led to others eating their flowers, too! Maybe I'll see some of them at the Wicked Wednesday Film Fest or the Fall Family Fun Fest. I made sure to pass out those movie listings to everyone there.

"What a great idea!"

Right?! I had just enough that all of them got the mini-posters of each. I hadn't realized that Joel was such a fan of scary movies. We got to talking about "Sinners" and I expect to see him at NCG in two weeks. That would be great! Oh, and Kathy likes plays and she's going to join me in two weeks for the new one with Savannah Children's Theatre! We talked about their bid to take over the Star Castle, too, and what a perfect site that will be. The fundraiser is already two-thirds of the way to their goal!

"I do hope they succeed! It's certainly boding well! Okay, back on track, dear. What was next after dinner?"

Then there were six. All of us - except Devora - convened at Companions & Lovers for drinks or desserts. I had the carrot cake, which had to be sent back because it was decked out in strawberry slices. For real!!! They actually got out a fresh cake for my slice. Kathy had dessert, too, choosing the chocolate torte. Wanna guess what decor it wore? And these weren't even red strawberries, they were those 'white' ones.

"Everyone else had drinks?"

Yep! Elissa had her bay Breeze, Joel had his Old-fashioned, Marcia had a glass of wine, and Sandy got their concoction of a Toasted Almond. She liked it, too!

"What's with the painting? Oh, wait, this is the place with all the odd art, right?"

Right!!! By the time we got around to discussing this one, Kathy and Marcia had left. I said it was a woman wearing a scallop-necked wrap dress that she had open on the left, so that someone kneeling beside her had access to that left breast. What did I think she was so inclined for that kind of action? She'd dyed her coochie bright red to attract lovers! That really cracked them up!

"Oh, my, not even having alcohol and still carrying on like a sailor!"

Seriously, I'd said that to Joel while the other two were at the bathroom and he loved it!!! Then he made me repeat my take on the painting when Elissa and Sandy returned! And they were right: the woman did look like Liza Minelli and she would have been up for that kind of story line for sure! Remember "Cabaret"? Just sayin'!

"Yes, dear. Let's move along to the next locale for you four, shall we?"

Yes, let's! (smile!) Actually, we had a couple of false starts. Joel was the driver and he first took us to Aqua Velva, or whatever it was. Nope, we didn't even park as it clearly had a younger, more pigmented, crowd that we were. On to Steeds-cum-Deb's, to see if they had karaoke! Yeah, the street was packed with cars and the overflow crowd in the front had a strong resemblance to the other crowd. Wow, that place sure had changed!

"Yikes. Sam Johnson and Danny Torres would have been amazed."

No doubt. Joel took us on over to The Palace Diner on Abercorn after that. Coffee and bagels for the two women, french fries and Sweet Potato Pound Cake that I split with Joel. The cake was very interesting. It was kind of like a spice cake, but much milder in flavor. I don't know that I would have it again, but it was fine for a one-time thing. I'd wanted the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, but Joel was very firm in his anti-pineapple stance, so I'd opted for the other. Next time, I'll get the Sam Johnson special for sure!

"Heard."

We stayed there a bit longer than I'd expected. That's because Elissa had to call her son in Italy to make sure he got up and didn't miss his flight to Atlanta. She's going to meet him in the ATL to celebrate their holidays.

"Italy??? How very cool! Is he stationed there?"

Oh, he isn't military. He has a buddy who just got married there. It was one of those 'destination weddings', like cuz'n Jeff had in the Caribbean some few years back. I'd wanted to go, but just didn't have the money. Now, I guess it's just as well, as that marriage didn't last but a year or two.

"That's too bad for him. He's such a sweet guy."

Yes, he is. I look forward to seeing him and my blue-sky cousin next summer. That's when the next trip to St. George Island is scheduled. Fun! Okay, time to wind down!

Thursday, September 18, 2025

in defense of keith


My friend Sherry Giddens posted this meme yesterday, cracking wise about how much older Keith Richards looks compared to others in The Rolling Stones and insinuating that he'd had to wait many years for them to come of age.

Timely, right?

After all, I'd just done my little piece on the aging of Michael McKean.

So, I checked to see just how old the ax wielder is.

Holy smokes, he's actually five months younger than Mick Jagger!!!

Mick was 82 in July this year; Keith won't be 82 until December. 

Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Brian Jones were all born before them.

That meant Keith was actually the youngest boy in the band back in the day.

And, yet, the man looks rode hard, doesn't he, and has for as long as I can remember.

Now I have a different perspective on his place with them. 

Nice to be able to use my skills as an analytical chemist to clear that up!

(smile!)

zooming to a meeting at last!

"What kind of meeting? Perhaps with the American Legion?"

May I need to suggest that to Doug. It's been a right good while since Post 36 met face to face. I will say that's made my role as Historian much easier. But, no, I speak of the AARP Georgia group of volunteers here in Savannah. I signed the list to join their ranks back in the beginning of August, then I missed that meeting.

"Oh, my! How did you miss it?"

I couldn't find out when it was supposed to be! I'd find an email, after the fact, welcoming me to the meeting... but got no response when I asked when the next one would be. Then, I almost missed the one this month, but the date was changed and I saw that email conversation in enough time to join in. So, there I was at 11 AM today, hair brushed and face washed, wearing a shirt.

"Hahahaha! So, no shorts, just panties I'm betting!"

Hey, it's still a bit early and I'm still not drinking coffee. Just sayin'.

"Oh, I read you loud and clear. So, how many were zooming with you?"

I think I counted lucky 13, not including me. There was one couple - Brenda and Herbert Singleton - plus a bunch of singles - Wanda Lloyd, Jeannnette Bacon, John Strong, Pat Patterson, Bernadette Perry, Lillian Sykes, Carolyn Barnett, Connie -something-, Adrian Bell, and Vanessa Payne. That last one is the State Director, stationed up in Atlanta. She made sure I knew that future meetings would be on the third Thursday of each month, always at 11 AM. That was good to know!

"Very good to know! Hard to plan to attend when there's no pattern."

Amen to that!

"So what went on at this meeting?"

Mostly it was about gathering volunteers for two events that are coming up. One is on October 17, the other on October 25. Both are early morning events, so I made sure to let all know that I was most def not available. There seemed to be a fair amount of confusion, too, since the previous leader of this local chapter has moved to Alabama - at least, I think that's where Jenny went - and no one has been advanced to cover her spot. I'm hoping the meeting next month will be more informative for me. I will say this: they are certainly a friendly bunch, so I look forward to knowing them better.

"Well, that's wonderful! Hopefully they'll have an evening event coming up that you can be a part of!"

Yes, that would be lovely!

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

musical, concert, musical... all at a cinema!

What a marvelous time I've been having at NCG Cinema this week!
I have been there for three days in a row - that's unprecedented!!!
Monday was just a 'mystery' movie a la Jim Reed's PFS, right?
Tina Tuesday was a double header with Carolyn, which was a great treat!
I'd invited her and Sandy to come see "Hamilton" with me at the matinee... and Carolyn responded to my invite!
Hooray!!!
I've wanted to see this musical for five years.
I know so many of my theatre friends who subscribed to Disney+ that first year of the pandemic, when the filmed Broadway show was released in July of 2020 on that streaming service.
I'm so glad to have seen it on the silver screen!!!
I felt like I was right there at the Richard Rodgers Theatre where the original Broadway cast was filmed over three performances in 2016.
WOW!!!
Lin-Manuel Miranda is so incredibly gifted!!!
He wrote the lyrics, the music, and the book for this historical, modern, musical, about events that actually occurred from 1776 to 1804, when the United States Of America was a brand-new country made up of immigrants from around the world.
How incredible to have finally seen this Tony-winning production as the 250th Anniversary of that start approaches!
My very favorite song was "Hurricane" - that one scene captured beautifully both the fury and the energy that represented Alexander Hamilton.
WOW!!!
Utterly astounding!!!
I could watch that one scene over and over and over and still be captivated.
Carolyn was as taken by the musical as I was.
We both intend to see it again next week!
Meanwhile, we  popped out for some Zaxby's, as it was across the street, then back into the NCG Cinema for a bit of silly fun.
Yes, I'm talkin' 'bout "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues" with those wacky musicians from forty years ago!
 
There's Michael McKean from that 1984 farce, "This Is Spinal Tap", when he was 37 years old.
 
And here he is from his turn as Lenny in "Laverne & Shirley" at 31 yo.
 
Plus, he was that dispicable Area 51 agent, Morris Fletcher, whose body gets switched with that of Fox Mulder.
McKean was 51 years old in that 1998 episode of "The X-Files".
 
And now he's 77, back to being David St. Hubbins, lead singer of the band.
His 78th birthday will be October 17th.
Except for the increased wrinkles of human aging, he really hasn't changed, has he? 
Of course, Christopher Guest is 77, too, while Rob Reiner is 78, and Harry Shearer is the oldest of them all and will be 82 in December.
Yet, when they perform their classics - "Big Bottom" and "(Listen To The) Flower People" and "Stonehenge" - the movie really pops!
I was so amazed how familiar I was with those songs, even though I doubt I've seen the original movie even once in about two decades.
T'was very nice to see, and hear, Sir Paul McCartney (83 yo) and Sir Elton John (78 yo) performing with the band, too.
What a totally twee Tina Tuesday... and for just $12 total!!!
 
Then, today, I was back again at  the NCG for their 'Wicked Wednesday' $5 treat - that 1986 musical that I so love that I've done one of its songs in karaoke on multiple occasions: "Little Shop Of Horrors"!!!
Apparently I share that love with Jimmy Fallon - major coolness!
Plus I've seen - and danced in my seat! - to the live musical versions at least twice during the last decade, including once in a TV show!!!
Yes, I have been well and truly blessed this week by NCG Cinemas - and they have just started two discount movie festivals this week.
Many thanks, y'all!